No model



No. 751,880. PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904. E. s. STEVENSON.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1903.

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PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

B. S. STEVENSON. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 9, 1903. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 751,880. PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

E. s. STEVENSON.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED M 9 1903. N0 MODEL. AY 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES Patented February 9, 1904..

PATENT OFFICE.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '751,88 O, datedFebruary 9, 1904.

Application file May 9, 1903. Serial No. 156,475. (No model.)

To aZl whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD SLADE Srnvnnson, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and aresident of Eldorado, in the county of Butler and State ofKansas, have invented a new and Improved Musical Instrument, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in musical instruments, an objectbeing to provide an instrument having the general characteristics of aguitar that is, as to its strings and notes, with an auxiliary set ofstrings and frets with stops by means of which a large number of notesand variations of scales may be quickly made with a small number of saidauxiliary strings.

I will describe a musical instrument embodying my invention and thenpoint out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a musical instrument embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the in strumentwith the invention shown on a larger scale than in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan view thereof. Fig. 1 is section on the line :20 of Fig. 2, andFigs. 5 and 6 illustrate the footpedal mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the instrumenthaving the general contour of a guitar. The forward portion of thisbody, however, has an opening 2, through which the arm 3 of the guitarextends, there being sufiicient space between the sides of the arm andthe side walls of said opening to permit the fingering of theguitar-strings.

Arranged adjacent to the guitar-strings 4: are the auxiliary strings G,C, and F. Near the upper ends of these G, C, and F strings are fourfrets 5, 6, 7, and 8, and coacting with these frets over the strings arestops 9 10. The stop 9 has divergent portions, either one of which isdesigned to be moved into connection with the strings-*that is, to forcethe same into engagement with the frets. When the forward extension ofthe stop 9 is moved into engagement with the strings, the said stringswill be forced into engagement with the fret 5, and when the otherprojection is in engagement with the strings they will be forced intocontact with the fret 6, and the projections of the stop 10 are designedfor pressing the strings into connection with either one of the frets 7or 8. By this arrangement fifteen (l chromatic tones may be obtainedfrom said three strings, making them equal to fifteen strings. Thesestops are mounted to swing between plates 11 and 12 on the body of theinstrument, and from the upwardly-extended portion of the stop 9 a rod13 extends to a connection with a block 14:, mounted to swing on an arm15, projecting from the instrumentbody. A similar rod 16 extends fromthe stop 10 to a rocking block 17, also on said arm. The stops are he] din normal position that is, normally out of engagement with theauxiliary strings by means of spring-fingers 18 and 19, attached to thearm and engaging, respectively, with the rods 13 and 16. From one end ofthe rocking block 1 1 a rod 20 extends downward through a guide 21 to afoot-pedal 22, and from the other end of said rocking block 1& a rod 23extends down through a guide 2e and connects with a footpedal 25. Theopposite ends of the block 17 are connected, respectively, through themedium of rods 26 27 with foot-pedals 28 29. Preferably each rodconsists of two separable sections, the upper section of metal and thelower section of wood. By making the rods in sections they may be foldedat the joint, and by employing wood in connection with metal noise willbe obviated. It will be seen by this arrangement that by operating onepedal in a downward direction the block will be rocked to move itsconnected stop with one end into engagement with the strings, and byoperating another pedal the said step will be moved in the otherdirection to force the strings against another fret. These footpedalsare extended into a boxing 30 and are mounted to swing on a rod 31. Theouter ends are held normally upward by means of springs 32 engaging withthe inner ends of the foot-pedals. The several guides for theoperating-rods are supported by a post 34, and rod 33 is adjustablyconnected at its lower end with the boxing and at its upper end to thebolt on which the blocks 14 and 17 are mounted.

To give the instrument a large volume and mellowness of tone, Ipreferably mount it on a frame. As here shown, this frame consists ofposts 34 35, the said post 34 having a joint connection 36 with the arm15, and the post 33 having a joint connection 37 with the tail end ofthe instrument-body. By these joint connections the instrument may beadjusted to any desired angle convenient to the player. From the posts34 and bars 38 39 extend to connection with a post 40 of a stool 41, onwhich the player may sit. The said posts 34 and 35 are also connected tothe boxing 30 by hook-rods 42 43. The several members of thesupporting-frame may be separated and compactly packed when not in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A musical instrument having a main set of strings,an auxiliary set of strings, a plurality of frets for said auxiliarystrings, and rocking stops for moving the auxiliary strings intoengagement with any one of the frets, each of said stops having portionsextended from opposite sides of its pivotal point whereby it may beengaged with the strings at either side of a fret over which it isplaced.

2. A musical instrument comprising a body portion, a main set of stringsthereon, an auxiliary set of strings extended along one side of the mainstrings, frets underneath the auxiliary strings near the upper portionof the body, a pair of rocking stops mounted on the body for moving thestrings into engagement with the frets, each stop being adapted forengaging with the strings at either one of two points and foot-actuatedmechanism for rocking the said stops.

3. A musical instrument comprising a body having a main set ofguitar-strings, a set of three auxiliary strings arranged along the mainstrings, frets arranged underneath the auxiliary strings near the upperportion of the body, rocking stops for pressing the strings intoengagement with the frets, each of said stops having divergent portionsfor engaging with strings at opposite sides of frets, rocking blocks,connections between the stops and blocks, foot-pedals, and connectionsbetween the opposite ends of said rocking blocks and the pedals.

4. A musical instrument comprising a body having an opening through itat one end, a guitar-arm extended along said opening, guitar-stringsthereon, auxiliary strings, frets arranged underneath said auxiliarystrings near the upper portion of the body, stops mounted to rock on thebody, each of said stops having portions extended from opposite sides ofits pivotal point, an arm extended from the body, rocking blocks on saidbody, spring-pressed rod connections between said blocks and stops, footpedals, and connections between said pedals and the blocks, whereby theymay be rocked in either direction.

5. The combination with a musical instrument, substantially such asdescribed, of posts on which the instrument is adjustably mounted, aseat or stool, and bar connections between said posts and the seat orstool.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two sul scribing witnesses.

EDWARD SLADE STEVENSON. Witnesses:

F. WV. BENSON, H. G. SANDIFER.

